Public Transportation? (Seattle, Tacoma, Federal Way: cost of, centers, buses)

[missdeltav0185]

Does anyone recommend public transportation for cutting down the cost of a long commute? I've heard there is a light rail, commuter trains, and park and ride centers in between Tacoma and Seattle...has anyone ever used them? Thanks!!

[scirocco22]

I think the majority would like to use public transportation if they could.

It's a matter of convenience and efficiency.

For example, the Sounder commuter train does go between Tacoma and Seattle but by the way of Puyallup. It's a tedious trip if you're going from Tacoma to Seattle.

There are several efficient Sound Transit bus routes that express between Seattle and Tacoma. But, they are buses. A lot of folks don't care for buses. Within the last year, Sound Transit has updated their bus fleet and now the buses between Seattle and Tacoma are heavier duty, over-the-road-type buses that are a bit more luxurious ...however, again, they're still buses.

No light rail between Seattle and Tacoma. The new light rail system scheduled to start in another 2 years will go from Seattle, through the Rainier valley to the airport. Not exactly an efficient way to the airport either. The light rail routing has been controversial with some saying that all it's doing is getting people out of buses onto the train. The Rainier valley already has good bus service and they really aren't attracting new riders but rather taking the people riding the bus and putting them on the train.

There are several Park and Rides that Metro (King County) operates between Seattle and Tacoma and the service is good. The Federal Way and Star Lake P&Rs in particular are quite successful and are at or near capacity. There is express bus service from those locations during the rush hour into the Seattle CBD.

The Puget Sound region is behind in setting up rail especially for a region with the kind of population base it supports but its bus service --from all three counties and Sound Transit-- it quite good compared with other similar systems of comparable size in the nation.

My main beef is that there are quite a few pockets of inefficiency in the system in that there are some places that buses are stuck in the same traffic as the general motoring public. There has got to be an expanded network of bus only corridors in the region for public transportation to be more appealing and as a viable alternative to driving. That's in the works but needs to be expedited.

Bottom line: Everyone should make an effort to use public transportation!


--'rocco

[citywoman]

It's VERY sad that there really is NOT better public transportation here. But Seattle is a relatively young city compared to cities like New York, Chicago, & a few others that have GREAT public transportation systems!

They had their public transportation systems in place for many decades. Whereas Seattle is gonna hafta retro-fit light rail, subways(???), etc.

And it's gonna be VERY expensive....But do try to use buses here as traffic can be quite bad in certain areas (405 & 520 particularly).

Problem is that you may find that you could drive some places faster than you could take a series of buses to your job or home.....It's truly as scirocco22 put it "a matter of convenience and efficiency".

Sigh.......